First Project Review – Cambodia

How amazing to see in person the project we have supported since 2010. Restoration of Vulnerable Children is a project designed to provide basic needs for children vulnerable to traffickers. Even I didn’t fully understand the benefit until I saw it in person. We walked into a room full of 50 students practicing their bible verses and singing before they began lessons in Khmer and English. This was just the afternoon class – another group of children met in the morning. This project serves over 100 children.

In America we are obsessed with numbers and we want to know how many lives are changed. But when you come and see a child blessed with opportunity it is huge if it’s only one life changed. To be in a room of 50 joyful children and know they now have hope and a furture was indescribable.

Then we went upstairs to see the sewing portion of the project. 21 women that have learned to sew aprons, purses, placemats, wallets and now are learning to tailor a shirt. I was able to share with them my story of being a wife and mother and God calling me to also be a business woman and help others. I encouraged them to work hard and dream big – that women are strong and can do anything we set our minds to do. They were very touched by my story and several shared how much they appreciated my words and the provision for the project. It was fun to see their eyes light up when Phany told them we were Freedom’s Promise and they knew we provided this opportunity. They appreciate the opportunity to better their lives and for so many in Cambodia it’s the lack of opportunity that keeps them in poverty and at risk to trafficking. This one small step of learning English or a skill like sewing opens the world up to them.

We did realize upon visiting that the sewing class doesn’t have access to English – we couldn’t believe the oversight because learning English will provide so many opportunities for them. We are going to fix that immediately to ensure the women will also have access.